25 Wealthiest Authors in the World

The wealthiest authors in the world write a wide range of topics. From romance to financial management, these authors found a hungry audience and satisfied them with their words. It’s not all that surprising. For hundreds of years, authors have played a key role in society; they entertain, inform, and amuse their readers. Some have even changed the world with their words. Of course, not all authors are insanely rich. Quite the opposite. Many authors, if they’re lucky, might be able to pay the utility bill off their writing. But, not these authors. Against all odds they struck it rich. But who are they and how much are they worth? Here are 25 wealthiest authors in the world.

George R.R. Martin - $65 Million

Before writing his epic fantasy “The Game of Thrones,” Martin was a writer on the television shows “The Twilight Zone” and “Beauty and the Beast.” He’s won several awards, including the Hugo Awards, Nebula Awards, and Locus Awards.

21

Jeff Kinney - $70 Million

Once a newspaper cartoonist, Kinney published “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” in 2007, turning him into a New York Times best-selling author. Since then, he’s published several sequels and turned it into a popular movie series.

20

Suzanne Collins - $80 Million

Famous for her best-selling young adult series “The Hunger Games,” she initially started her professional writing career on the Nickelodeon show “Clarissa Explains it All.” Overall, Collins books have sold 85 million copies worldwide.

Stephenie Meyer - $125 Million

Meyer earned most of her wealth off of her hit “Twilight” book series. It sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and was turned into a wildly successful film franchise. She currently is a movie producer under her production company “Fickle Fish Films.”

17

Dean Koontz - $145 Million

This prolific author has been writing since college and has sold over 450 million copies of his books in total. He’s written under several pen names and is mostly known for his horror and mystery novels.

E.L. James - $150 Million

Publishing her romance novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” online, it became a viral sensation and was picked up by Vintage Books. Overall, her trilogy sold over 125 million copies and was adapted into a movie series.

Dave Ramsey - $200 Million

Focused on the finance and business, Ramsey has written several books on helping people manage their finances. Part of his program and advice is living completely debt-free. He’s written four New York Times best-sellers and runs his own radio show.

12

R.L. Stine - $200 Million

Children’s horror master R.L. Stine, famous for his “Goosebumps” series, has sold over 400 million copies of his books. He made the Guinness Book for being the best-selling Children’s book author in history.

Jeffrey Archer - $200 Million

A once corrupt English politician imprisoned from 2001 to 2003, Archer later became a famous author. He based most of his books on his experiences in prison. To date, he has sold over 250 million copies worldwide.

9

Grant Cardone - $300 Million

Author, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur, Cardone has written several books including, “If You’re Not First, You’re Last” which made #1 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. However, much of his wealth comes real estate and investments rather than book sales.

8

John Grisham - $350 Million

Originally a lawyer, Grisham was inspired to write a novel in 1984. His first novel, “A Time To Kill” was rejected several times before finally being picked up, kicking off his career. Since then, he’s written several novels and has sold over 300 million copies in total.

7

Nora Roberts - $390 Million

This author got her start publishing in the ’80s and saw her first success with the book, “Playing the Odds.” Since then, she’s become a massive author, writing several best-sellers and practically becoming her own publisher. She is incredibly prolific, writing all hours of the day.

Stephen King - $400 Million

Horror, fantasy, and science fiction master, this author needs little introduction. He’s sold more than 350 million copies worldwide and is incredibly prolific in his own right. He’s won over 50 literary awards and many of his books have been made into films.

James Patterson - $800 Million

A titan of publishing in his own right, Patterson became well-known for his best-selling series with the protagonist Alex Cross. He’s written in several genres, including thrillers, mystery, and romance. Despite his success, many seasoned writers have frequently criticized him.

2

JK Rowling - $1 Billion

Famous for writing the “Harry Potter” series, Rowling has garnered significant success and wealth since its publication. The film adaptations boosted the phenomena even more, earning roughly $7 billion dollars in box office numbers.

1

MacKenzie Bezos - $30 Billion

Author of “The Testing of Luther Albright” and “Traps,” she won an American Book Award in 2006. While she’s technically an author and quite wealthy, much of that wealth derives from her recent divorce settlement with ex-husband Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.

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